Experts call for action to avoid disasters after hottest year

Houses marooned by floods in Kapuothe village, Kisumu. The record-breaking temperatures in 2024 fueled unrelenting heatwaves, drought, wildfire, storms and floods. [File, Standard] The year 2024 was hottest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). In a report scheduled to be officially released later in the month, detailing the global temperature figures for the past year, last year's temperatures surpassed 2023 and 2016, which previously held records. The WMO has hinted that the past year is also the first with average global temperatures 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. "With 2024 likely to be the hottest year on record, let's keep the momentum going to push for continued progress on the #GlobalGoals in 2025," WMO posted on X. In a New Year message, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that countries should work towards lowering their emissions. "Today, I can officially report that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat. The top 10 hottest years on record have happened in the last 10 years, including 2024," he said "This is climate breakdown - in real time. We must exit this road to ruin - and we have no time to lose. In 2025, countries must put the world on a safer path by dramatically slashing emissions, and supporting the transition to a renewable future." Throughout last year, WMO released a series of reports that highlighted the rapid pace of climate change and its far-reaching impacts on sustainable developments. It captured record-breaking rainfalls that resulted in catastrophic flooding as well as heat waves with temperatures exceeding 50C across different countries. In its end-year analysis, World Weather Attribution (WWA) carried studies with a focus on extreme heat that occurred in parts of the world that currently do not have systems to define heatwaves. "Extreme weather reached dangerous new heights in 2024. This year's record-breaking temperatures fueled unrelenting heatwaves, drought, wildfire, storms and floods that killed thousands of people and forced millions from their homes," WWA noted. "This exceptional year of extreme weather shows how dangerous life has already become with 1.3C of human-induced warming, and highlights the urgency of moving away from planet-heating fossil fuels as quickly as possible." During the 12-month period, climate change added on average 41 days of dangerous heat that threatened people's health, globally. July 22 broke the record as the hottest recorded day on Earth. Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi are among countries captured in the analysis as having experienced extreme rainfall in East Africa. Other countries that experienced the highest number of dangerous heat days, as per the analysis, are small islands and developing states, who are highly vulnerable and considered to be on the frontlines of climate change. Notable events that contributed to record-breaking global temperatures translated to record-breaking downpours. This is because a warmer atmosphere tends to hold more moisture, leading to heavier downpours. The analysis laid down what should be done to reverse the trends. It highlights the need for a faster shift away from fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal. The report also highlighted the importance of early warning systems to minimise fatalities as well as need for real-time reporting of heat deaths. Finance for developing countries to help them cope with the impacts of extreme weather events is also highlighted. "Developing countries are responsible for a small amount of historic carbon emissions, but as our research has highlighted this year, are being hit the hardest by extreme weather," read the 2025 resolution.

Experts call for action to avoid disasters after hottest year

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